An Unknown Answer
by hartlike01
Summary: JE. AWE. Elizabeth finds Jack alone while the crew sleep one night, and although she risked everything to save him, she isn't sure if he has forgiven her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**.

_Flashback_

"Barbossa, while you weak men sleep I'm going to keep searching for Jack." Elizabeth told him as she pulled on her coat, still dressed in her pirate clothes.

"Now why would ye be wanting to go out when there be no light?" Barbossa had a way of ridiculing everything around him, and Elizabeth was no exception. He frustrated her on purpose; any type of reaction was reason enough for him to keep on.

"Because Jack is out there and the more we search, the faster we find him and can get of here," Elizabeth retorted. She was growing more tired of Barbossa by the second and wished for the old captain to be back. The one who made her laugh, and get flustered with his flirtations. The one who knew who she really was.

"Fine. But don't be expecting anyone to follow you to make sure you're safe."

"Will is accompanying me." Elizabeth finished putting on her shoes, and was pulling up her hair underneath her hat. It was a nice hat, one that Jack would like.

"No, Will is staying here. If we need to leave, I need to have my first mate here." Barbossa looked over to Elizabeth's glaring eyes, "I'm sorry lass, but he is unable to acquiesce your request on my orders."

"You are insufferable!" Elizabeth scolded, "I'll just go alone then, but if you think that Will won't kill you if anything happens to me then you are sadly mistaken."

And with that Elizabeth made her exit. She grabbed her cutlass and straightened her hat on straight and then stormed out of the ship, and rowed herself onto the desolate beach that seemed to turn into a desert on all sides. She took a deep breath and made her first step onto Davy Jones' locker.

It was uncommonly hot, and as she looked around she could see no end to the vast desert that surrounded her. She struggled to breathe; the stifled air seemed too thick to make its way to her lungs. The dark night, which was illuminated by nothing, made Elizabeth feel as if her search was hopeless. It was completely black, with no light being emitted from any place other than what the lantern that she had brought shown. She took a few steps in and started to get a quick walking pace down.

She walked for hours, and during this time she thought about everything that had happened. She killed Jack. She actually chained him to the ship and left him to be the Kraken's mid-afternoon snack. She abandoned him, and even though she knows what she did was the right thing to do for the greater good, she couldn't help feel guilty for leaving Jack there. He had come back and saved Will. He didn't deserve to die, however the crew that were killed by the Kraken certainly didn't deserve to die either. It was all Jack's fault really, if he hadn't made the deal with Davy Jones, if he hadn't lied to the entire crew, including her, if he wasn't a pirate then none of this would have ever happened. But, as she stopped in her tracks, he is a pirate. A good one at that, and she could not blame him for risking everyone's life, because that is all that he has done his entire life. He wasn't bad in any sense, he was being true to himself, and that is all that you can ask for.

Elizabeth continued to walk, and began to feel herself getting lost. She couldn't remember which way the ship was, and with no stars to guide her, it was impossible to tell. She had been winding through the sand for a few hours now, and was far into the desert. She began to panic looked around frantically to see if she could see the black sails, but with only the light of her lantern showing any glimpse of the land in front of her, she could see nothing. That was when it hit her- she still had Jack's compass. She could use it to find her way back to the ship where Will was.

She grabbed it from its place on her pants, and with one hand opened it, while guiding the lantern over it, so she could read its direction. The needle spun for a moment, but found its way toward the Northwest. She looked toward that direction and with one deep sigh began her way back. Jack would have to wait until morning, when she could adequately search for him.

She kept on that path for the next hour, never straying from where the needle continued to point. She thought that she must be getting close, because she was growing more and more exhausted with each passing second. She looked up wearily towards the black sky, and the next step she took startled her, because she felt something move underneath her foot. She jumped back startled, and took a few seconds to catch her breath that had left her when her foot came down. She moved the lantern over where her foot had gone and saw a body. However, as she looked closer she saw that this was no ordinary body, but Jack Sparrow. She had found him.

She quickly got on her knees and placed her ear at his heart. It was still beating, and she felt a sigh of relief escape her lips.

"Jack." She whispered. He didn't stir.

"Jack" she spoke louder "Jack wake up." She nudged his shoulder and he turned over not waking up. Elizabeth let out a frustrated moan and sat still for a moment.

"Oh look," she said, "Is that a bottle of rum?"

"Rum?" Jack sprang up from his sleep and looked around for the bottle. He looked around, and seeing none, lay back down. It was only a few seconds later that he realized that someone had to of mentioned where the rum would be in the first place. He shot back up and looked to his right to where Elizabeth sat with the lantern shining light onto her face. She smiled weakly at him, as if urging him to speak first.

"Elizabeth?" Jack questioned cautiously, "are you dead?" He made his question blunt and to the point.

"No, I'm not. I have been looking for you for hours."

"Hours, eh? Well someone feels sorry for their previous actions."

"You have no idea." Elizabeth said with sorrow in her voice.

With her last remark Jack stood up and looked around for the black sails, seeing none he turned to Elizabeth who also stood up.

"Where's my ship?"

"Oh well, I have been walking for a long time before finding you, so"

"So you don't know where it is." Jack finished her sentence.

"Not precisely." Elizabeth winced knowing that Jack would not be happy to find himself rescued without a ship. "However, I do have your compass, and was using it to get back to the ship."

"Oh," said Jack eyeing the compass, "Well, then by all means, lead the way." Jack slightly bowed, extending his arm to let her lead the way.

"Alright," Elizabeth stepped out before Jack and began walking in the Northwest like she had before.

They walked silently; neither Jack nor Elizabeth wanted to speak. Jack was too angry at Elizabeth to speak, her actions had proven what he hoped wasn't true, and Elizabeth was afraid of what Jack would say to her if she spoke. He didn't seem to be in a good mood.

So the walked. They walked for hours and somewhere along the way the light had made its way back into the sky. Their steps became slower as there energy withered away, and you could hear the occasional sigh slip from both Jack and Elizabeth's lips. Both were concentrated on their thoughts, and neither would look at the other.

Jack was still upset that Elizabeth had left him on the Pearl to die. How dare she? He was the captain of the ship and he had come back for them. He did something good, and what did he get for it? The kraken. Not quite the reward he had hoped for. He didn't leave her there; he went back and fought for her. Er, for the ship. He came back for the ship, not Elizabeth. Most certainly not for the person that killed him. He thought back to the awful experience… except for the kiss. The kiss was good; the being eaten by the kraken was not. She was a pirate, and a good one at that. She did was she thought was right by her and had no regrets. He made her into a pirate and he wasn't sure if he was proud or saddened by the notion. So he blocked all thoughts of Elizabeth from his mind and focused on finding his ship.

Elizabeth, however, was not so willing to give up the thoughts of Jack. She continued from where she had left off earlier before she found him. She had killed him, but she found him. Does that make them square? No of course not; what I did requires much more than saving him. He won't even look at me.

Elizabeth turned to Jack as if to say something, but then look back straight ahead dejectedly. Jack turned his head in response to Elizabeth's previous action and stopped walking. Elizabeth took a few more steps before turning to her side to look at Jack, but upon not seeing him she stopped and looked behind her. She gave him a puzzled look and made her way back.

"Are you sure that we are heading in the direction that would get us back to me ship?" Jack asked Elizabeth with a hint of hostility.

"I haven't strayed from where the compass pointed." Elizabeth responded.

"That isn't what I asked," Jack bluntly stated. "Where is the compass?"

"Right here", Elizabeth unhooked the compass from her pants and brought it to her hands.

"Open it." Jack ordered.

"Jack-"

"No I need to know the way back to me ship, and the way you are taking us hasn't been working too well." Jack seemed more upset than Elizabeth had ever seen him. It was an unusual sight, and Elizabeth felt fear creep into her.

Elizabeth looked down at the compass for a moment, and then back at Jack. His eyed didn't soften, but were stern with his order for her to open the compass. She looked back at the compass and with a deep breath prayed that she could get back to the ship so she wouldn't have to stand here. Her hand open the compass with one swift movement, and the needle only spun for a moment before landing right in front of Jack. She closed it quickly before Jack could see where it landed.

"Why did you close it?" Jack questioned

"Because I saw where it pointed and no longer need its use anymore." She looked at Jack and then continued, "It pointed in the opposite direction, so I suppose we should stop arguing over a compass and start heading back to the ship."

Jack glared at her, and she avoided his look and began to walk. He couldn't do any more, so he followed her cursing under his breath.

**A/N. I'm happy you all like the story, but instead of making the flashback a two chapter affair, I just shortened it and made this chapter longer. Please RR.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything**.

_End Flashback_

"_It was a long time ago_," thought Elizabeth, "_but he still hasn't forgiven me." _She was leaning over the rail looking at the water as the ship cut through it.

It has been two months since she had rescued Jack, and he doesn't talk to her, and when he does his voice drips with contempt. He hasn't forgiven her, and the thought scares Elizabeth. It was a sad game she was playing with herself, she supposed. It wasn't fair to either party, Jack was killed and brought back, Will was heartbroken, and Elizabeth was completely alone. Well, except for the rum which she became rather well acquainted with during those past two months. It wasn't what she had expected for her life; it wasn't even close. She wanted to be married by now, and with each passing second she grew more and more dissatisfied with her life. The water grew more inviting with each day.

Will wasn't talking to her anymore. Once she had gotten back on the ship he had pulled her aside and asked her the question she had been dreading to hear.

"Why did you kiss him?"

It was a simple question with a complicated answer. How could she even begin to explain to him the complexity of the situation? She loves Will, yes, but she isn't sure if that love is enough to keep her happy for the rest of her life. She loves the sea, she loves the freedom, and marriage to Will means land for the rest of her life. Was she willing to give that up? It was a question she didn't know the answer to, and the thought of that scares Elizabeth even more. What was it about the sea that was made it so addicting? The vast space of it all? The people? Jack? For a moment she stopped breathing; did she love Jack?

Her heart started to pound in her chest, threatening to break out of the shell that protects it. She can't love Jack. He's a pirate, and she's the governor's daughter. He drinks all the time, he never stops flirting, and he has many 'acquaintances' in Tortuga. All of it makes him the wrong man to love. No. Do not think of love. Love is only reserved for thought about Will.

They were only a few days from Port Royale. It was only a matter of time before Will broke off the engagement… or was it already broken off? She didn't know, but the thought of being alone began to sound more normal as she stood there.

Her eyes grew stormy as she looked over the ledge that separated her from the ocean she had grown to love. Anyone who looked at her could tell that she was troubled. No need for the intuitive sense of the female. It was too obvious to be missed. The crew all passed her by, not bothering her for any reason at all. The deck was starting to empty as the sun made its way past the ocean line. She breathed a deep sigh of mixed emotions: regret, sorrow, dissatisfaction, and then turned around to face the world she had for so long tried to escape. She looked around, and was surprised that most people had left. Not everyone though. At the helm of the ship stood Jack, steering the ship he was all too happy to get back on. He looked angry, an emotion that seemed to plague his face a lot lately.

She made her way up to him, hoping that he would speak with her since no one else was around to hear. She walked up the steps and Jack glanced at her before returning to his steering. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, so she took baby steps until she was standing beside him.

He had been watching her all day. Watching her fight with herself constantly, not letting anything interfere with her struggle. He didn't want to look, but she had that effect on him. He couldn't help but watch her while no one was watching him. It was the only way he could stand to see her. He was far too angry still to talk to her. Being killed by the person he lo-. By the person he thought he knew and was friend's with was not something that a captain forgets. She was lucky he even let her stay on the ship.

He gave her a sidelong glance, acknowledging her presence, and then looked back at the sea.

"It's beautiful isn't it," Elizabeth said, trying to find common thing that they both loved. "I find it even more so at night. It seems to glow by itself." She looked at Jack hoping that he would make a comment back.

"Aye, she is," Jack never looked at Elizabeth, "it's a shame though."

"How so?" Elizabeth pushed, not wanting the conversation to end.

He looked at Elizabeth and his countenance changed. For a moment he softened his face and truly looked at her.

"You know, you should never disturb the captain when he is steering," he started "It's bad luck."

Elizabeth's face fell a little as she recognized his wish to end the conversation. It was the longest one they had since getting back to the ship. She missed talking to him, hearing his inappropriate suggestions, just him. She missed Jack terribly, but respecting his want, she made her way down the stairs and then below deck.

He watched her every move as she made her way below deck. Her hair blew around her in the wind as she walked gracefully down to her cabin. As soon as she was out of sight he let out a sigh. It was going to be a long trip back to Port Royale, and he found himself wishing that they were already there, and that he didn't have to go through saying goodbye to Elizabeth.

He continued to get lost in his thoughts, although if anyone looked at him they would see a drunken captain steering his ship through the night.

**A/N: I hope you still enjoy it. I do promise that this is a J/E story. You just have to wait a little for it. As they say, "good things come to those who wait"**

**Read and Review please**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Absolutely nothing.**

Beckett is sitting at his desk in his office. He is tapping his pen on the desk waiting for his next appointment. Neither Elizabeth Swann nor Will Turner had shown up to deliver Jack Sparrow's compass, and he was starting to get annoyed. If he didn't have the compass then he couldn't get the heart that possesses such great value to him.

He was involved in his thoughts when he heard a knock at his door. He looked at the map on his wall, and then back down at his desk.

"Come in" he said dismissively. The door opened and in walked Norrington carrying a brown bag.

"Ah Mr. Norrington. I have an arrest warrant for you." Norrington stepped closer to the desk waving the brown bag.

"Yes, but I believe that what I am in current possession of will make me a free man"

"You do not hold Jack's compass-"

"I've got one better," Norrington placed the bag on the desk still not letting go, "Listen."

The room got eerily quiet as the two men quieted and did not dare to make a sound. After a few moments the sound of a heart beating flooded the room. Beckett looked at the heart with an incredulous look and then back at Norrington.

"Is that-"

"The heart of Davy Jones?" Norrington began, "Yes, yes it is."

"What do you want in exchange for it?" Beckett opened his drawer and pulled out a group of papers ready to make a bargain.

"It's quite simple really," Norrington said, "I want my Commodore status back, an increase in my previous pay, and the protection of the East India Trading Company for any misfortunes that might happen."

Beckett looked at Norrington and in a sly voice responded

"Welcome back Commodore Norrington, may I show you to your ship?"

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The sky became dark, although it was only mid-afternoon. Everyone was on deck, including Jack and Elizabeth. The were on opposite sides, of course, but that didn't stop them from thinking of each other.

The sudden changing of the weather startled Elizabeth who witnessed the entire change.

"That can't be good" She turned from the ocean, and went across the deck to where Mr. Gibbs and Jack were standing.

Jack saw her walk towards him and quickly quieted his conversation with Gibbs down and tried to look busy. He also noticed the change in the sky and knew what it meant, and it was a truly frightening notion to him. It meant the control of the seas had changed, which meant that Beckett was now in control of Davy Jones.

His face displays his emotions, and as Elizabeth grew closer she could see his troubled eyes. She knew that it couldn't be good. She made her final steps and finally stood in front of Jack and Gibbs.

"The sky just-" she started out worried

"Aye, we know," Gibbs responded, "it's not good. Not good at all." With those words he made his way over the rest of the crew who were preparing for a nasty storm. Elizabeth still stood with Jack and neither of them moved.

"What does it mean?" Elizabeth had forgotten about his anger, and in that moment posed a valid question with more than one meaning behind it.

Jack signed and grabbed hold to one of the ropes that hung from the sails.

"It means that no pirate is safe." He made his answer with a twinge of sadness, but made it to the point, and then walked away leaving Elizabeth alone. This time she wouldn't let it happen. She followed him with a quick step to catch up.

He walked below deck turning corner after corner trying to lose her, but whenever he listened he could hear her footsteps trailing behind him. He walked into an empty room far under the deck, and hoped to lose her. He heard her walk past and let out a sigh of relief as he put his ear to the door trying to hear clearly. When he thought it was safe he opened the door and walked out in the classic Jack Sparrow fashion.

Only to be met with Elizabeth who was leaning against the wall opposite of the door.

"Oi," Jack jumped back into the room and shut the door hoping that he had not just seen what he had.

**A/N: A short chapter! Oh no. But I can tell you that next chapter will be pretty steamy.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Satisfied?**

**I couldn't help myself, I had to post this chapter today… I just couldn't wait any longer!**

It wasn't long until Jack heard a knock on the door. He winced as he heard her fist meet with the wood. He moved away the door and back with one swift motion trying to come up with a suitable excuse for not seeing her.

"Captain Jack Sparrow isn't here at the moment," Jack started, "You may want to check back on deck."

Elizabeth didn't move away from the door and she gently placed her hand on the door

"Jack let me in," she said gently and simply "I need to speak with you"

He composed himself as best as he could, preparing for what was about to happen. He knew that he would have to talk to her eventually, but he didn't want it to be so soon. Although, looking back it had been a few months, and neither he nor Elizabeth had changed their views on the situation.

He sighed and opened the door to let Elizabeth in.

She walked in quickly yet gracefully, as if she was afraid the door would close as soon as it was opened. She walked past Jack to the table that was in the middle of the room; she traced her fingers along the papers that were scattered around and after a few moments finally turned back to Jack who was looking at her confused

"What do you need?" He made his question curt.

"I need to talk to you," Elizabeth stated bluntly, "you haven't spoken more than a couple of words to me since I rescued you."

"Funny, I seem to recall you killing me"

"I had to!" Elizabeth started to get defensive

"You had to?" Jack questioned sarcastically, "So you are telling me that it was a necessity to chain me to the mast?"

"Why can't you forgive me?" Elizabeth sat down in the chair that was next to the table.

"Because you killed me. Murder is not under my list of forgiving circumstances."

"Jack" Elizabeth stood from her chair, "you have killed hundreds of people during your life. It's unreasonable that you won't forgive me"

"Oh is it?" Jack was getting angry "It's unreasonable to think that you should feel remorse for your actions?"

"No, that's not what I said. What I said is that it is unfair for you to hold me to a different standard than yourself. If you can't forgive me then you can no less forgive yourself."

"Please explain Miss Swann because I can't see the logic behind your comment"

Both began to circle around the table. A tango of anger and frustration ensued.

"You made the deal with Davy Jones, you sent Will of to be killed by Jones, you subjected everyone here, including me, to death by the Kraken, you had the black spot, you let your crew die because of your lies, and you left me to die!" Elizabeth looked at Jack who was about to say something but stopped him by raising her hand.

"No. I know you came back, but you did leave. You left me here. You left Gibbs and Will, and the rest of the crew here to die. If you can forgive yourself for causing the death of your crew, friends, and innocent bystanders then you have to forgive me!" Elizabeth was out of breath, and stood in front of Jack, the place she was in as a result of her yelling.

She looked up at Jack to see his reaction, but he didn't say anything. Instead he looked at Elizabeth with a mixture of anger, pain, and desire and with one quick movement kissed Elizabeth hard on the mouth.

He caught Elizabeth off guard and she began to fall backwards, but he caught her, never letting his lips leave her. He moved her back until she hit the table and then progressed to lean her back. His kisses became less harsh and more desperate as the time passed. He didn't want to stop and neither did she. They stayed on the table wrapped around each other not letting the kiss end. After a few more moments Jack stood up, put on his hat and began for the door.

"Jack, where are you going?" Elizabeth stood up, smoothing her shirt and pants. Jack only turned around and gave her a small smile. Then he opened the door and left, leaving Elizabeth in a mess.

Had he forgiven her? Was he just angry when he kissed her? What about Will? How would she be able to explain this to Will? Marrying him seemed impossible now, but how would she tell him?

Her thoughts consumed her mind as she sat down in the chair as she had done before. She could not stand. She just looked at the door to where Jack was standing only a few moments before.

**A/N: Steamy enough? I had to keep it "T" rated, and I wasn't sure how much that entailed. Anyways, there was a taste of Sparrabeth… but they still have work to do. Him kissing her doesn't necessarily mean she has his forgiveness.**

**Just something to keep in mind. But hey, you have an entire chapter of pure Sparrabeth with no interruptions.**

**PS- I want a lot of reviews since I posted two chapter so close to each other in time… **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I would sail to the ends of the earth to save Jack. Although, apparently that's not enough to say that I own them. So I suppose I'm in the same predicament as most fanfic writers who have to say that they don't own anything.**

Jack walked back up towards the deck, where he was met with mayhem as all of the crew was running around tying things down and trying to fight the storm that was brewing. He took a few drunkard steps from the stairs into the center of the chaos. Everyone was screaming orders, and as he looked up to the helm he saw young Will and Gibbs trying to keep the Pearl straight. He nodded his head and decided to take over up there. He had a few things to think about.

Back below deck Elizabeth was still trying to catch her breath. It was only a few moments ago that Jack had left, but she was still very much distraught. She sat there trying to sort things out in her head.

Jack had kissed her. Yes, that had happened, but why? Does it mean that he has feelings for her, or was he just trying to shut her up? She hoped it wasn't the latter, because she does have feelings for him, and would be absolutely devastated to know that she ruined her relationship with a man who loves her for one who doesn't.

She composed herself, straightened her clothes once more, and made her way out of the room. She took slow and thoughtful steps toward the deck as she was trying to make herself appear normal. When she finally made her way up, what she saw took her by surprise. There was a terrible storm thrashing, and the Pearl was trying to fight it. All of the crew was running around, trying to tie things down, as well as not be blown away. It was the worst storm she had ever seen. She raised her arm over her forehead as a makeshift umbrella and looked around for Jack. But before she could see him, she heard her name being yelled.

"Elizabeth!" the yelling came closer until Will could be seen through the torrential downpour, "Elizabeth where have you been?"

At first Elizabeth's face read that of guilt, but the rain covered her blush.

"I was taking a nap, I had no idea that this was happening."

"Oh," said Will with a hint of relief in his voice, "When I couldn't find you on deck I thought you had been swept off the deck."

"No. Of course not," Elizabeth's blush deepened as she became overwhelmed with guilt for Will worrying about her while she had been kissing Jack.

"We better try and help now." And with that Elizabeth started to walk off before Will could reply.

Jack was watching Elizabeth and Will's brief conversation as he tried his best to steady the ship. It was going to be a long and hard fight, but he was ready for it.

POTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTCPOTC

On the other side of the storm the Flying Dutchman made its way toward its prize- The Pearl. The rain gave them the advantage, and with Beckett barking orders to everyone, Davy Jones was happy to be distracted by this fight. He made his way over to the helm yelling at anyone who got in his way. The crew, however, looked at him differently. There wasn't that same fear that held them as before. Now that Davy could be controlled he wasn't as fearsome.

Beckett was standing by the wheel as Davy climbed up.

"So good of you to make it Jones" Beckett said with his usual spite. "Now listen here, I want this battle effective and quick. Go on to the Pearl and grab Mister Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann. I want them back here alive. As for the others, I don't care for their fate, do as you please."

Davy snarled and his face contorted into a forced, curt, nod. He was trying his best not to anger Beckett, who did, indeed, have control of his heart. Instead of answering to him, Davy turned from him and walked over to the edge of the helm.

"Alright you mangy dogs I want Jack and the girl brought back here. Alive. Other than that you should have a little fun." Davy jumped off the edge of the helm and walked forcefully to his quarters.

The members of his crew made a cringe-worthy laugh as they began to prepare themselves for the fight ahead.

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update this story. I had writer's block. You see I only imagined the story to where Jack and Elizabeth kissed, and I didn't really have anything else planned, so I had to take some time to come up with a plot. Don't worry though; I have come up with a plot for this story, so it should be around for a while. Please rev**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: If I owned any part of Pirates of the Caribbean I wouldn't be sitting on my computer right now, I would be dancing on top of the nearest table. All evidence, therefore, points to the logical conclusion that I do not own Pirates. It's a sad reality.**

The rain only grew as the time passed; all of the crew was awaiting the climax of the storm that would bring the worst of the damage. As they all scrambled around trying their best to prevent their unfortunate fate Elizabeth was doing her best to distract herself from her thoughts. Her hair clung heavily to herself, and she was doing her best to tie the rope connecting to the mast down. The wind was as strong as she had ever seen it; it felt like a hurricane was forming around her, and she could barely see. She could feel the despair of the situation settle in, and their grim fate was now center stage in her list of priorities. She couldn't think about Jack while she was about to die on the Pearl. She was working so hard to save them, she was doing the best that she could, but she knew that there was nothing that could be done. It seemed as if their fate was in the hands of another.

That's when the actual severity of the situation hit Elizabeth. They were not only in danger of the storm, but the only thing that could possibly erect such a storm was Davy Jones. It all fit together, the torrential rain, the cover of the droplets allowed for the element of surprise. It was the perfect storm for him to attack in, one so fierce that only his crew could face it with assurance that they would make it to the end. It all came together in Elizabeth's mind and she knew that she would have to do something quick before he showed up. He might have the advantage, but Elizabeth would not let him win without one hell of a fight.

She passed the rope to one of the pirates that was standing by and started to brave the element. She steadily walked towards the helm of the ship, slipping every few steps due to the force of the wind and rain. The heavens seemed to be weeping also with this storm, only intensifying its effect. She made a few more steps before she could see the outline of Jack's body.

"Jack!" Elizabeth yelled desperately. He didn't seem to hear her, so she took a few more steps holding on to one of the steady ropes.

"Jack! Please!" Elizabeth used the full power of her voice hoping that Jack could hear her. Luckily for her he looked down to where the voice was coming from.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing over here? You should be helping with the rest of the crew. This isn't a storm that you can just ignore." He seemed surprised, annoyed, and proud all at the same time. Yet, if you looked closely enough, which Elizabeth could not, you could see a deep seeded fear in his eyes.

"Jack, please listen. Davy Jones is going to attack any moment now. Think about it, the rain, the timing, only he could produce so strong a storm. Jack he is coming to get you, we must do something!" The desperation and worry in Elizabeth's voice let Jack know that he should listen, and when he did the look that washed over him most resembled that of death. He was as pale as a ghost. He quickly regained composure though, and formulated the best plan that he could think of under the circumstances. He suddenly looked down to Elizabeth who was still holding on to the rope.

"Take the wheel." Jack started to look around for tools.

"What do you mean, I've never handled a ship, I don't know how to keep it steady, we'll all die!"

"I do not have time for you to doubt yourself right now, love" Jack pulled Elizabeth up the stairs. "Now be a pirate and take the wheel. I trust you" Jack put Elizabeth's hands on the wheel and walked off leaving Elizabeth feeling the most determination she had ever felt in her life.

Jack trusted her enough to leave the Pearl's fate up to her. He said that he trusted her, and she would be damned if she let him down. She had already done that, and didn't want to add this, soon to be epic, battle to the list. She tightened her grip and squinted her eyes trying her best to keep the ship straight.

Jack walked skillfully over to the cannons. He stuffed them full of gun powder. The crew around him stopped momentarily and stared at him as he was putting all of their gun powder in the cannons. Jack felt himself being looked at and whipped his head around.

"Do I look like I am doing this for my own enjoyment?" He glanced around at the pirates looking for a response, "No I'm not. Now fill the cannons and move them over to their positions. Hold fire until I say." A few of the pirates immediately went to fill the cannons while the others continued to pull on ropes keeping the sails up.

Jack walked over buckets and men who had been knocked unconscious by the storm. He was walking towards a goal, rum. He made his way over to the stairs that led down to the different rooms. They were already starting to flood with water, and so he ran, sloshing his way through the halls to the room that held all of the rum. He opened the door and took a large canvas bag that was lying around and started to fill it with the rum. Every single bottle he saw, he threw in. He cleared out all of the shelves and barrels, and when he saw there was none left he pulled the large bag out of the room and down the hall towards another room. He put the bag next to shelves full of lamp oil. He swooped all of the bottles into the bag, and when he was confident that he had managed to get all of it, he made his way back down the hallway and up the stairs to the deck. Once he made it up there the storm hit him with such a force that he staggered back for a moment, but he put one foot in front of the other and managed to make his way over to the center where he opened the doors leading to the cannons and dropped the bag in, knocking over Will.

"Sorry mate, didn't see you there" Jack said simply, "keep this here, and on my command I want you to light fire to it."

"Is the kraken returning?" Will questioned remembering their past history with this approach. Jack gave him a sad look and replied.

"Worse." He walked off leaving Will with a worried expression.

Jack made his in a clearing of the ship, where no person was currently running through or trying to mend the continuous damage, and looked off into the distance.

His breath was caught and he could feel his chest tighten as he could now see the outline of the most feared ship in the world, The Flying Dutchman. The fight was to occur now.

**A/N: So the epic battle is to happen next. Well, not THE epic battle, but a significant one in the lives of Jack, Elizabeth, and Will. Next chapter will be exciting. Please Review!**


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